Air conditioner spray applicator triggered by paddle valve to improve efficiency

ABSTRACT

This device provides a cooling spray around the condenser unit of an air conditioner to cool the enclosed Freon more than normal air. It is activated by the opening of a paddle valve as a result of air flow from the air conditioner fan, allowing the flow of water into a hose and out a turning spray nozzle. The resulting spray of water quickly lowers the temperature of the condenser to that of the tap or ground water, allowing it to cool the passing air more efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Several prior art has described a type of misting unit to improve air conditioner efficiency. However, this art contains an improvement in the activation of the misting unit, traditionally the most difficult part of the device to design. The original mist unit design appears in U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,265. This application describes the misting unit itself.

Prior patents and applications have built upon this patent and suggested several methods of triggering the device such as temperature sensors, pressure sensors and acoustical sensors. U.S. Pat. No. 3,613,292 describes use of a temperature sensor through use of a solenoid. U.S. Patent No. describes use of an electronic device corresponding to hydrodynamic pressure within the air conditioner unit. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 0121273 describes use of an audio sensor to control the valve of the water flow.

SUMMARY

This device contained in the current claim provides a cooling spray around the condenser unit of an air conditioner to cool the enclosed Freon more than normal air. It is activated by the opening of a paddle valve as a result of air flow from the air conditioner fan, allowing the flow of water into a hose and out a turning spray nozzle. The resulting spray of water quickly lowers the temperature of the condenser to that of the tap or ground water, allowing it to cool the passing air more efficiently.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The current art utilizes a paddle valve to control the flow of water. The paddle valve is activated by the flow of air over the valve from the fan in the air conditioner unit. This more logical design is an elegant and efficient solution to the design problem of triggering the misting system. When the fan turns it, the resulting air flow lifts the paddle flow which in turn allows water to flow through the open valve and into the serpentine misting hose. The resulting spray cools the condenser. The paddle valve is a much simpler and reliable way to provide water into the misting tube than the art in prior inventions.

In addition to the paddle valve, unlike prior art the current art utilizes one of several commercially available spray nozzles to deliver the water. The spray is a more effective delivery method than the former misting model, and provides a design less prone to failure. The water flow is concentrated through spray nozzles, rather than a porous hose. Spray nozzles are placed on each side of the unit. The spray nozzle delivers a thin stream of water that is more consistent than misting. The spray angle is adjustable from 45 to 360 degrees, allowing it to be easily adapted to multiple air conditioner models. This manageable and consistent flow prevents the water from simply being sucked into the fan as it can be on misting-based models.

Aside from the advantages of the paddle valve triggering device, the system itself has the advantage of improving the efficiency of the air conditioner by cooling the Freon in the condenser much more than simple air alone could by delivering a steady stream of water at ground or city water temperature. This typically provides a five degree drop in the overall temperature of the air conditioner, allowing it to cool the area much more quickly and thus use less energy.

Included are three figures to illustrate the design:

FIG. 1: Side view of the system.

FIG. 2: To view of the system.

FIG. 3: Close up of the paddle valve activator of the unit.

The components of the device include the following:

-   -   10—garden spigot     -   12—water supply hose     -   14—paddle valve assembly     -   16—air conditioner condensing unit     -   18—spray supply hose     -   19—spray nozzle     -   20—air conditioner fan     -   22—paddle     -   24—paddle arm     -   26—valve

FIG. 1 shows a garden spigot 10 which supplies water through a water supply hose 12 into a paddle valve assembly 14 mounted onto the top of an air conditioner condensing unit 16. Attached to the other side of the paddle valve is spray supply hose 18 which supplies water to the spray nozzle. The spray nozzle 19 supplies on a thin stream of water across the condenser.

FIG. 2 demonstrates a top down view of the assembly in which air flow from an air conditioner fan 20 mounted within the air conditioner condensing unit pushes on the paddle valve assembly. This allows water to flow from the hose into the serpentine misting tube.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of the components of the paddle valve assembly. A paddle 22 is positioned above the air conditioner fan. Mounted to the paddle is a paddle arm 24 which connects to the valve 26. Air from the air conditioner fan pushes the paddle upward, which pushes up the paddle arm. The movement of the paddle arm pushes open the valve, allowing water to pass through it, out of the hose and into the spray supply hose and out the spray nozzle.

The components of the device are all commercially available and are constructed in the way described below.

The paddle valve assembly is mounted to the top of the air conditioner condensing unit so the paddle itself is positioned above the air conditioner fan. One side of the valve is connected to a water supply hose which is run to a garden spigot. The garden spigot provides a steady supply of water to the paddle valve. The other side of the paddle valve is connected to a serpentine misting tube. The serpentine misting tube is mounted to the outside of the air conditioning condensing unit downward and upward in an alternating pattern on all sides of the condensing unit.

When the air conditioner fan is engaged, it provides air flow out of the top of the unit. This air flow pushes on the paddle which lifts the paddle arm and opens the valve, releasing water into the spray supply hose. Water flows out in a thin stream in the spray nozzle and onto the outside of the air conditioner condensing unit. The stream of water assists in the cooling of the Freon within the condenser, thus lowering the overall temperature by approximately five degrees or more. In addition, the lower air temperature allows the unit to work less hard, typically 4% less than without the invention. 

1. The main claim within this patent is a modification a modification to existing air conditions design to include a sprayer activated by a paddle valve our the far which provides a mist on the outside coils of the condenser to assist in cooling and increase the energy efficiency of the unit.
 2. Although a garden spigot is often the most convenient way to supply water to the apparatus, any source of fresh water can be used and be attached to the water supply hose either directly or by using a commercially available adapter.
 3. A water filtering device can be incorporated into the water supply hose to remove non-evaporative components such as iron calcium and other common elements in tap water. This option is show as 28 on FIG.
 1. 4. The paddle valve can be mounted at any location on the top of the air conditioner condensing unit, as long as the paddle is positioned directly above the air conditioner fan, directly in the path of the air flow from the fan.
 5. Multiple, smaller size spray nozzles can be placed throughout a misting hose in place of larger spray nozzles on each side of the unit.
 6. As described in prior art, a serpentine misting tube can be used in place of the spray nozzle, however this is not as efficient or consistent as the nozzle. 